Clamp for well-drilling cables.



No. 873,090. I L PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907. c. F. RIGBY.

CLAMP FOR WELL DRILLING GABLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEU.11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1% f I 4 f f P ATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

Elm-873,090.

I 0. P. RIGBY. CLAMP FOR WELL DRILLING GABLES.

B n k1 CLARK F. RIGBY, OF NEW MARTINSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA.

CLAMP FOR WELL-DRILLING CABLES.

Specification of" Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed December 11. 19055 SerialNo. 291.179.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARK F. RIGBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Martinsville, in the county of Wetzel and State of West Virginia, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for ell-Drilling Cables, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to clamps for welldrilling cables of the general character shown and described in Letters Paten; No. 640,416, granted to me January 2, 1900 and No. 696,748, April 1, 1902. In those atented constructions, the bowl or body of t e clamp is made in one part and provided with a slot for inserting the cable. This construction is more or less inconvenient and the slot tends to weaken the bowl. To overcome these objections, I have in the present invention divided the bowl, with the parts connected by a hinge so they may open and close, together with means for holding them closed. By this arrangement, the cable may be readily inserted and'the hold upon the cable ,secured by the usual taper of the bowl or slips, or both, may be augmented by the clamping pressure secured when the bowl-parts are clamped together.

It is further characteristic of the invention that the two suspending lugs are carried by the same part or half of the bowl, so that when open an entirely unobstructed passage is provided for inserting or removing the cable. Furthermore, with both lugs carried by one part of the clamp, and the rope-guide or goose-neck slip carried by the other part when the clamp is open, the suspending means does not interfere at all with adjusting the cable on .the goose-neck or removing the same therefrom.

The invention further consists in other features of construction, and combinations of parts, herein fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved clamp, and Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, showing the clamp open in full lines and closed in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing slips of different size.

Referring to the drawings, the bowl is divided vertically, forming the two parts or halves 2 and 3, hinged together at one side at 4 and at their opposite sides provided, respectively, with lugs 2 and 3, with yoke 5 hinged to lug 2 and adapted to swing into embracing engagement with lug 3, and carrying screw 6 for forcing the lugs to ether or toward each other when clamping t e cable. The outer side face of lug 2 has curved depression 2'. to receive the circular rear arm or member 5 of yoke 5. Aslip a, secured to lug 2 by rivet b, combines with depression 2 to, rotatably. confine yoke arm 5, the latter thus forming a hinge upon which the yoke swings when turning into and out of its embrace of lug 3. While embracing lug 3, yoke 5 also embraces lug 2 to which it is hinged, and thus'by means of screw 6 the parts are clamped together in a most substantial manner. The bore 7 of the bowl, formed by the complementary depressions in parts-2 and 3, ta ers downwardly and at opposite sides is ormed with dove-tailed grooves to receive longitudinal ribs or projections 8 and 9 of corresponding form carried by the opposite slips 8 and 9.

Theslips are provided each with a projection 10, which overhang the top of the bowl and move on headed bolts 11 projecting from the latter, with springs 12 therebeneath and operating to hold the slips normally raised when not in action. Slip 9 carries the curved cable-guide or goose-neck 13, shown in my former patents, having at its outer-end, the eccentric cable clamp 14.

It is characteristic of the invention that suspending lu s 15 are both carried by one half or art 0 the bowl, preferably part 2, which a so carries the clamping yoke 5, with slip 9 having the curved cable-guide carried by the other half. With this construction, the suspending means is entirely out of the way. when the clamp is open for the insertion or removal of the cable, as shown in Fig. 2, thus providing an unobstructed passage for the cable and affording ample room for adjusting the same on the curved guide 13. If

one of the lugs were arranged on eachpart of I the bowl, as has been roposed heretofore in constructing divided cYamps, the suspending means would interfere greatly with the mani ulation of the cable. 1

he operation will be clear to those skilled in the art. After the cable has been inserted, the weight of the tools thereon lowers the slips against the pressure of springs 12 and the taper of the bowl contracts the same, causing their curved inner faces to securely grip the cable. The clamping pressure obtained" by the tapered slips is augmented by the ressure of clamping-yoke 5, and particuarly isthis true when the thickness of the rope is such as to revent lugs 2 and 3 from being drawn comp etely together. v

The outer face of part 2 may be formed with depression 16, having cross-pin 17 serving as a fulcrum for an insertible bar or lever 18, adapted to engage a depression in. the back of shp 8 for the purpose of loosening and starting up the latter, and thus release the; ti hthold of the slips.

In t e construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the slips are of such 'form as to accommodate a Manila cable varying in diameter from two to two and one-half inches, while in the construction shown in Fig. 5, the cable passage formed by depressing the -o posite faces of the slips is considerably smaller for the purpose of clamping a wire-cable which may vary from three-quarters to one inch. The sizes of cables mentioned are those usually employed in well-drilling operations, but it w1ll be understood that the slips may be formed to accommodate cables .of any desired size. Thus, the clam may. be provided with two or more sets 0 slips of different size, thus adapting it for use with a Manila or a wire-cable. Heretofore, it has been necessary to provide a different. clamp entire for each kind of cable.

I claim v 1. A rope-clamp comprising a two-part bowl adapted to open and close, means for securing the bowl-parts together, cable-slips operative in the bowl, and suspending means for the clamp connected to one part only of the bowl.

2. A cable-clamp comprising. a divided bowl, means for securing the bowl-parts together, cooperating slips carried by the bowl-parts, a cable-guide carried by one of the sh s, and clam suspending means on one on y of the bow -parts.

3. A cable-clamp comprising a divided bowl, means for securing the bowl-parts together, suspending means for the clamp connected to one part only of the bowl, cooperating slips carried by the bowl-parts, and a cableuide carried by the slip of the unsuspende bowl-part.

4. A cable-clamp comprising a divided bowl with the parts thereof hinged together at one side, means for securing together the opposite sides thereof, cable-securing slips operative within the bowl, and suspending means for the clamp connected to one part only of the bowl.

5. A cable-clamp comprising a divided bowl with the parts thereof hinged together at one side, suspending means for the clamp connected to one part of the bowl, a clamping device carried by the suspended part for securing thereto the free portlon of the other bowl-part, and cable-securing slips operative in the bowl.

- 6. A cable-clamp com risin a divided bowl having the parts t ereo hinged together at one side, means for securing together the opposite sides of the bowl-parts,

the interior of the bowl taperin downwardly and formed on opposite sides with dove-tailed depressions, and slips having dove-tailed projections slidable' in said de-j pressions.

In testimony whereofl aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. r CLARK F. RIGBY.

Witnesses:

W. S. HOPKINS, J. W. MoINTIRE. 

